


A very gay and suicidal mission

by Silanahfire



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), The Closer, The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien Planet, Aliens, Crossover, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Magic, Panic Attacks, Romance, Scars, Slow Burn, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-04-04 10:20:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14018142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silanahfire/pseuds/Silanahfire
Summary: The fate of the planet is in your hands, will you risk your life, the lives of your friends going into a very possible trap that will lead to a probable painful death? And finally in this suicidal mess will love be discovered and lived?Well follow me my friends and we will find out.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Let's settle things. Emma and Regina lives with Henry in LA, but they are not together, well for now. They work in the LAPD, Emma is a lieutenant and Regina is a forensic scientist because i like the idea. Anyway they still have magic and all of the memories, i just decided that they transfered to keep Henry away from all the trouble.  
> Philip Stoh happened, Brenda is still in the major crimes unit, Sharon still in IA, but Rusty lives with Sharon. I know i really like to mess with canon.  
> Finally for The Worst Witch universe, this is after the Spelling Bee but before A new Dawn.
> 
> So, english is not my first language, sorry for any mistakes that you'll find.  
> First fanfiction publishedever, hopefully it'll be okay  
> .  
> Long note, i am sorry. I hope you'll enjoy yourself :) 
> 
> Ps. First one is a short chapter so i can get how this site actually works.

The castle visible just to magical people was up on a lush hill, since everyone had memory of it. Regina knew where it was, of course, but there has never been an occasion for a visit. Now she could admire its majesty at its feet, the marble and the grey stone seems to live again under the influence of strong and old magic. Emma Swan was observing standing close, her green eyes big with wonder, the jeans and typical red jacket were replaced by a grey tuxedo. Regina smiled sluggishly at her, sure that her look will not get detected.

The low voice of Sharon made her leave the state of trance:”I think that we should go in, Regina, are you sure this is where she lives?» The witch with green eyes was looking at her with hesitancy or maybe with prudence. Regina rolled her eyes but answered anyway:”Of course Sharon, Hecate is waiting for us. But we really needed Swan and Miss Atlanta with us?” “You know damn well that they insisted Regina!”

 

Brenda was starting to regret that damn decision, did they really needed to go? Especially herself, who didn’t have any magical power?

Emma, being a Charming, couldn’t stop herself from exposing her thoughts:” We are right in front of you? Let’s just, let’s just go in there, I’m freezing out there!” The two witches nodded in unison and quickly.

They entered the castle passing the marvelous doors, the warm and laughter reached them immediately. Brenda meet shortly her lieutenant’s eyes, whom looked as fearful as she was. Then her brown eyes changed destination to the burgundy velvet dress that Sharon had chosen for the evening. The split wasn’t particularly high but showed her long legs and the backline exposed the pale skin of her back to the light of the Moon transpiring from the windows.

Well, maybe there was some good things about participating at this absurd teenage, witchy party. Captain Raydor surely wouldn’t wear nothing similar at work. “ Chief, you are going to burn her back if keep looking at her like that!” Emma Swan, her lieutenant, received her most “mind your own fucking business” expression. Then she started to look around the place. It seemed just a typical scholastic ball, with a lot of black and strange food. The ballroom swarmed of teenagers with colorful dressed, smiling and dancing, a beautiful atmosphere.

With the tail of her eye she could see Emma’s hand hovering in the mid air behind the cobalt silk back of Regina. “ And she dares to judge me!” suppressing that scornful sound that was trying to escape her mouth, she takes a few steps to reach Sharon and asked:” Regina where’s this Hecate? I see only students!” The dark eyed witch was just about to answer when a woman appeared from thin air right in front of them, almost causing her an heart attack. This woman was dressed in black from head to toe, even her hair in the chignon were black, her ebony eyes were comically big and they laser eyed every single one of them until they meet Regina’s. Then she lowered herself in a simple bow with one hand lightly on the forehead, saying few measured words:” Well met, Regina Mills”. A very strange gesture, if you ask me. Regina does the same thing, them Sharon follow.

Hecate Hardbroom, “Hard-broom” I had to restrain myself from laughing, was concentrating her attention on me and Emma with an skeptical arched eyebrow. Swan immediately lifted her hand for a handshake, presenting herself:” Hi, Emma Swan”. The hand, of course, was meet with nothing but air and felled defeated by her hips. Another eyebrow lift itself to meet the first one. Brenda just said her name like an affirmation, and for that obtained a brief but meaningful nod.

“ Hecate, they are non-witch, well Miss Swan does have magic but… but it doesn’t really matter now. Anyway if you please would forgive them, they don’t know our rituals and such.” Regina’s word seemed to reassure her, and in the same time to shock her enough to stop her from utter another word. There she was, with her eyebrows near her hairline and a slightly open mouth.

Until a little kid with pigtails almost doesn’t crash in us. Her little voice shaking:”Oh, Miss Hardbroom, these ladies are your friends?” If possible, Hardbroom’s eyes grew wider, and theatrically she turned to meet the girl. “Mildred Hubble, you shouldn’t interpose in adult conversations!”

Ah, so she doesn’t know how to answer her. Lucky for her Sharon, as the bitchy angel that she is, talks in her behalf:” We came to participate at your famous ball, Miss Hubble”. The smile on Mildred’s mouth illuminated the entire ballroom before being sent away by her teacher, :” But... but Miss Hardbroom I was sent to you to tell that Miss Pentangle is here!”  
At the name the teacher became rigid, and when she turned to look at the room you could almost hear several creaks, like the sounds that emits a robot in an old movie. Above everything else there was a pink and blonde spot, all smiles. A nude arm, then, was weaving at us, with a delicate hand up, saluting enthusiastically. I think all of us saw the blush insinuating on Hecate’s pale cheeks.

It appears that we will have an increment of one in the group of useless lesbian, Emma was surely following my exact line of thinking, because taking a step back she whispered to me, few but significant words:”Another one? Like we weren’t enough already!” I just nodded and rolled my eyes to the roof, because really,the two oh us are more than enough.

The pink spot was coming considerably close now,her hips swaying in an hypnotic way, I have to admit, with a beautiful smile on a rosy and perfect little face. The magenta dress highlighted every single curve, and it did not affect me too much because I had a burgundy one marked with fire on my retinas. Sharon curved her red plump lips in a sneering smile while she looked at me, my tongue remained stuck on the palate for long moments. Meanwhile Emma Swan was having the same intern discourse, with an eyebrow lightly arched, interested. Miss Hardbroom continued to be nothing but a mess:” Well met, Pippa”. She greeted her with a soft whisper.

Ah, Pippa then, too “pink” for me anyway.

Her voce was light and harmonious when she spoke, looking directly in miss Hardbrood lost eyes:“Well met Hecate, ehm and with who I have the pleasure to make acquaintance this fine evening?” The dark witch cleared brieftly her throat before answering: “Oh, sure, Pippa I introduce you to Regina Mills, an old friend of mine. And ehm they are her friends…?”- she makes a very perplexed face-“ They came to ask me to participate in a whatsoever mission, I don’t have familiarity with the details right at the moment.”  
Pippa's teeth were bare and extremely white between the glossy pinkish lips. But her eyes were staring directly at Regina, as like they were engaged in a some sort of mental duel. Mills was staring back with a unsure expression. The air was wearing thin all around us, the tension could be felt a mile away, and being a witchy contest it could only get worse.

My voice cut between the fog like a knife:” Miss Pentangle I am Brenda Leigh Johnson, she is Sharon Raydor and there is Emma Swan, pleasure to meet you, now if a remember correctly there should be food? Somewhere?” Better run than be hexed by jealous witches.

Miss Hardbroom was using her comically big eyes as ping pong balls, passing between Pippa, very pink, Pentangle and Regina, very perplexed, Mills. Finally she stopped, caught my eyes and after a long confused exhale she spoke:”Of course, it’s all there, in the ballroom, please help yourselfes. Maybe later we’ll have the chance to talk about this peculiar mission”. I nod enthusiastically and thank her before passing an arm around Sharon’s waist and taking her away with fast steps.

“Brenda what are you doing? We are not here to eat or lose time, you know that!” She whispers in my ear. I lift my eyes toward the roof for the billion time this night, before talking:”I know! But there wasn’t a good atmosphere for sharing sensible details, first they solve their problem, first we can ask for help and get over it!” Sharon was observing me with her famous look, her eyelids almost closed but ultimately decides to let me carry her with my arm to the buffet.

The velvet is soft, so soft under my fingers and the curve of her waist seems to be made for me, forged for my hands, and I try to not lose myself thinking of her nude skin under the dress, how much softer it surely is compared to the burgundy fabric, as we walk together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a flashback in this chapter.  
> Enjoy :)

Regina still didn’t understand why these brown eyes were glaring at her with such hostility. All that pink and glitter were just a pretty mask of gentleness and sweetness then? Meanwhile she was observing Emma, who was eyeing, in pure envy, Brenda reaching the buffet. In fact only few moments later she was speeding towards the food, such a coward for a Savior. Staring at her back she hoped that it’ll eventually burn, when nothing happened she moved her attention back to the two witches.

Pippa Pentangle was very much interested in her "secret" past with Miss Hardbroom, “ I don’t recall ever hearing your name Miss Mills, how did you two meet, Hecate dear?”

Oh, it’s “Hecate dear”, now the situation is way more clear. Regina desisted from snorting and kept a pretty fake smile on her face.

“Well, we were not very close  when I encountered Regina...?” Hecate was looking at the floor beneath our feet, a blush starting from the usually pale neck, hands closed in fists by the bony hips, she swallowed some air and started again:” At the time that I meet Regina we... we weren’t in contact… Pippa”. This is going to be end very badly and very quickly. “Miss Mills and her mother needed help with some extraordinary difficult and experimental potions, they chosen to contact me. After that we kept in touch until now.” Hecate had an half embarrassed smile on her ruby lips and Regina’s got sweeter even if just a little bit.

They became friends during these hard, terrible years of their life. Cora Mills was shaped with the same tough marble that shaped Hecate’s father, and that united the two women with a strong tape of solidariety and comprension.

“Oh, I understand, Well met Regina Mills, then” The tone was a bit gentler while she touched her forehead with a rosy and cured hand, but in a flash she gripped the arm of the taller witch, telling me with a gesture what she couldn’t in words.

This must end, right this instant, this silly and totally misunderstood issue is getting out of hand, dark eyes were focused and determinate to take care of the problem, and from the confused expression on Hecate’s pale face all responsibilities were on her shoulder, anyway.

“Well met Pippa Pentangle, now Hecate would you be a dear and get these insufferable missing women back, while Miss Pentangle shows me a bit around this magnificent castle and helps me find a more appropriate place to discuss delicates details of the mission?”

Miss Hardbroom hesitated, her eyes open and bright, head slightly bend towards Pippa, interrogating her in silence. The forensic scientist, ex mayor, ex Evil Queen, barely restrained from pinching the bridge of her nose in light disgust at that embarrassing display of pining weakness.

Miss Pentangle didn’t move her glance from the woman in blue silk but nodded gently and sweetly squeezed Hecate’s arm. “Sure, Hecate, darling we will be in your study, I shall make some tea.”

“ _They and their damned tea, it’s an obsession. In this time of crisis some good alcohol would do the job, like some cider or better, an aged scotch._ ” Regina’s mind was rambling while she smiled in fake satisfaction.

Hardbroom mechanically moved her head up and down, then with extravagant moves of her bodies an hands excused herself.

Everyone could clearly distingue the chocolate covered face of Brenda Leigh Johnson and Sharon with her lips curved between light disgust and hesitant fondness. Pippa was inspecting the younger witch facing her, from the black shiny and expensive Jimmy Cho, following with the moderate split of the silk dress, showing toning legs, the heart cleavage, shoulder covered in black silk until she reached smoky brow eyes, that were throwing metaphoric stones at her.

She proceeded to links their arms not noting, or maybe, not caring about the other stoic pose, “Something you’d like to talk about Miss Mills? It required really that kind of privacy?” Her pink nails were brushing naked skin near the wrist, but Regina refused to be intimidate by that juvenile subtle threatening gesture, as if it could scare a former Evil Queen. “I just think you may be getting wrong ideas of me, Miss Pentangle, and that you are playing with fire, right now.”

She stops breathing for a second to that low and growling voice, a smirk appeared on Regina’s blood red lips.

“What… what wrong ideas, Miss Mills?” Her tone didn't seemed to be affected too much, anyway. This Pippa Pentangle, a pinkish glossy donuts at the outside, but on the inside there isn’t just chocolate and cream. She is seriously starting to grow on her.

Baring her most reassuring smile while passing a gloomy corridor, surely conducing to the study of the raven’s haired witch, hearing the distinct chatter of two pair of hells beating the floor in synchronous, Regina spooked in her most cooperative voice :” Let’s say that you misinterpret the relationship between me and Hecate, I can assure you that it’s a sincere friendship, nothing more”.

They stopped near an high and polished door, Pippa delinked their arms in the benefit of facing her totally, she studied the other woman, fetching for some kind of lies or strange behavior. The dark haired witch kept her features strict, with some difficulty because her lips were twitching, hoping for a little smirk.

The words that escaped her shiny lips left Regina in an unbalanced state for few seconds, “Hecate and I have a sincere friendship, too”. There was challenge, fire hidden behind that simple utterance and clearly shown in those amber eyes. “Miss Pentangle, I’m purely an old friend, there was nothing else between us and nothing there will ever be.” That fire needed to be extinguished. Even so Regina’s voice was becoming frustrated an she could barely keep the irritation from filling her blood and burning her brain.

“How can you be so sure?” Her teeth were showing again, the magic was twitching and vibrating all around them.

“ _I will not get myself dragged in a senseless duel, we have not time for such silly games!_ ” With that in mind the ex Mayor answered her question :” Dear, I am not interested and I am hundred percent sure she also isn’t!”Her hands were shaking with a light need to strangle her pretty long neck.

“Who’s not interested in what?”

Regina suppressed, hardly, the urge to scream at the top of her lungs. Thing that Pippa didn’t succeeded in doing:”Hecate! You almost give me an heart attack, my poor heart!”

Miss Hardbroom appeared from nowhere with the others behind her. Brenda and Emma had pure fear in their bright eyes. Hecate opened her mouth but no sound was heard, until she swallowed loudly and moved her glance on the closed door. “I apo..logize Pippa, Regina, I didn’t mean to startle you, but ehm would you please follow me in my study.”

The beating of both witches hearts were almost stable, meanwhile they entered the study. Miss Pentangle, watching the not necessary affectations in Hecate’s movements, brushed a delicate hand on a black covered arm, telling her with a sweet voice:”Don’t need to apologize Hic-Hecate, you surprised us, that’s all.” The barely there smile that the taller witch gave her could warm the heart whose knows how much it costs her.

There was a exchange of looks between Regina and Emma, who seemed unsure and full of questions, the shorter woman shacked her head discreetly suggesting her to follow everyone in. Swan’s face didn’t change expression but she enters the room. They settles on a velvet dark couch.

The study was almost dusky but there was a deeply sense of warm, of security that echoed in the walls, you could feel it reverberating in your bones like strong natural magic. Old books in alphabetic order filled an entire wall, the ebony desk was full of stacked paper, elegant quills and a roaring fire was illuminating the entire place.

Hecate seat on a worn out chair facing the couch, Pippa fairly seated on an arm of the chair, a laugh died on Regina’s throat at the strict pose assumed by their host, her brown eyes out on stalks as they followed Pentangle’s sinuous curves. Swan’s false cough that should’ve covered a giggle was recognized by everyone, in fact Hardbroom was flashing her a death glare that could make a lion tremb.

Then a improvise weight posed itself on the blue silk lap. Regina moved her attention below to find a black cat purring against her dress, then the realization, "Morgana! Still fit I see.”

“She’s adorable, hey kitty-kitty!”Brenda was instantly conquered by Morgana, obviously. The black cat was purring loudly now that long finger were petting her luscious and soft fur. Emma’s eyes were burning holes in her temples, she sensed it, Swan was sitting right next to her, too close, on the sofa. Naturally Regina sees her make herself at home, stretching her long and firm arms below the couch, and she softly pressed her nape against one, smiling internally at the other women abrupt intake of breath. Meanwhile flashing Pippa a measured arched eyebrow, maybe she’ll take the hint and that absurd situation would clear itself. Pentangle mirrored her stare with fissured and perplexed eyes.

Honestly this was getting ridiculous!

Abruptly she shakes her blonde head, throws her arms at the sky with the most betrayed expression possible:” That cat always hated me! One time she almost bit me! And now look at that, she is purring on her lap like a kitten!” Morgana answered with a low growl and the witch continued to pet the now hirsute fur with a tired sign.

She would really like to point out that it may be her high voice, or, most probably, the fact that witch’s cat never get along with their “mistress” owner, but she bites her tongue with conscience.

Hecate was gaping, probably on the same line of thinking. Inexplicably Emma Swan comes to the rescue:” Don’t give it too much thought, animals adores Regina, babies too, don’t ask me why, tho”. The woman in question let a sarcastic smile slip out while still caressing Morgana.

Pippa snorted loudly and Hecate’s hand, the one far away from her pink friend, gripped the arm of the chair so hard to make her knuckles go white and to make her nails perforate the soft material. Immediately after she gulped and tried to relax her rigid posture, surely ecstatic to change the current argument to a more appropriate one. Her tone was tense but precise when she managed to speak again:”Now, I would like to know for what emergency, exactly, you come all the way here, to ask for my help.”

Suddenly even the pinkish giddy witch returned serious, her look focused and slightly worried. Regina slowly nodded and convinced herself to go through a long, complicated explanation for enlighten everything.

 

 

An incessant beeping woke Sharon up from a deeply and dreamless sleep, letting her eyes get accustomed to the morning light she stopped the annoying rumor with an elegant move of the wrist. Then she prepared her mind and body to face a new day.

There was a strange sensation, with a light but persistent tingle on her nape. A trembling hand touched the area, finding nothing abnormal, just soft skin and tiny hair. Even so that tingle was bothering her, she shacked that thoughts out of her mind finishing her morning routine.

With some coffee finally in her blood and Rusty smiling lazy at her, still quite asleep, eating her breakfast, she realized that the prickling was stronger than before. With furrowed eyebrows she looked outside, a splendid morning, trying to make sense of that curious sensation. The teenager’s voice startled:” Mom”-her heart still tripped in its bones cage when he called her that- “something wrong? It is Brenda? She… she keeps not listening to you?”

To the second question she had to laugh, because, when exactly, did Brenda Leigh Johnson ever listened to her?

“No Rusty, nothing to worry about, I just feel something different in the air.” And she wasn’t lying, it really seemed that the air was taking a color, a smell, something quite different from the ordinary. She could sense a very bad migraine making its way in her skull, starting a massage to her temples she signed with malcontent.

Rusty was staring at her, with a strange face, furrowed forehead and perplexed eyes. But really it was nothing serious, and she didn’t want to alarm him, her sweet high perceptive boy. She started to think that maybe there was an hint of magic swirling inside him. She stopped to kiss his forehead, smoothing it, gracing her lips with the most relaxed smile she could master. “Don’t worry honey, maybe I just had a strange dream last night.” She said to him giggling a little, then saying goodbye and going to work.

It was going to be a busy morning, with the case linked to major crimes closed, Sharon needed to get to speed with all the FID bureaucracy stuff that she had neglected. She was going to miss Brenda today, specially with this strange tingle that wouldn’t leave her. Something was telling her to look at the sky, but she keeps seeing only blue and white soft clouds. The blonde was always able to reassure her, as she was perfectly able to irritate her with few simple moves.

Maybe she could do a short visit, for lunch, with an excuse, just to calm her nerves a bit. Well, at least to distract herself.

In the office her hand was fast in filling modules, approving practices, reviewing rapports but her mind was elsewhere. Now the tingle was even stronger, a hand was perennial on the nape and her forehead was full of worried lines.

Suddenly the door of the office was slammed open with a smash. Regina looked like she had raced a marathon on her black, shiny hells, a really difficult task adding the red skirt and the matching dark sweater. Her red lips were barely open and her big eyes seemed at the mercy of some sort of circle of chaos. Meeting that unsettling stare Sharon started to get in apprehension. “Regina? What’s happening? Speak!”

She made little frantic steps until she could lean with her hands on the desk. “Sharon tell me that you sense it too, it’s driving me crazy from this morning, I can’t… I can’t keep, I just can’t! Even Henry asked me to stay with me this morning, because he wanted to keep me company!”

What, in the hell, was happening? Clearing her throat she noticed her hands were trembling, “yes, yes I feel it too, it’s the air, in the air, something changed and I can’t figure out what!”

The forensic scientist relaxed visibly and exhaled a  shaky breath before taking a seat on one of the chairs, almost exhausted. “Happy to not be gone mad, but what the heck is going on here? Sharon this is serious, if we both feel it, whatever this is, it has to be strong.” The other woman nodded in agreement, abruptly with a new weight on her shoulders.”Did Emma felt it too?”

This phenomenal needed to be analyzed from the origin, surely there was magic involved, but how?

Regina just shook her head with the lips in a tense line. “She didn’t say anything but I didn’t run into her this morning. Even so If she sensed something she would’ve called me.”

“Good, this means that it requires a discrete sensibility to magic in order to perceiving it. What do you think?” The with was looking at her with the head bending, considering her thoughts or maybe her sensations, “I perceive, I think it is danger, let’s give it a try. Close your eyes and focus on your emotions. We need confrontations.”

Sharon closed her eyes slowly, taking her time to calm the mind and process. Now she noticed clearly a red strip, blood in darkness, a growl from far away, then agony, pure agony. She throw open her eyelids with a heavy breathing. “This is more than danger, I sense panic, desperation!” Regina made a rigid movement with the head.

“Something, someone, is trying to reach us, and it’s desperate.” Only by hearing those words Sharon felt a shiver running across her body. “ A portal then? Yes, a portal and we don’t know what is waiting for us at the other end.” The situation was evolving into a more delicate and alarming emergency.

Moving without the usually fluidity and resting her forehead on clasped hands the Captain Raydor tried to come up with a brilliant solution.

“There’s more Sharon, I think someone wants to talk to us.” That’ll explain the persistent tingle, “Yes I sense the request too. But how do we interact?”

Regina extended her hands and Sharon took them in hers,an half smile on her lips in seeing that finally they had reached this amount of trust. She read in dark eyes her intentions and they both closed their eyelids, focused on that infuriating prickling behind the nape. The aura was changing quickly, unusual cold was penetrating their bones and they bared their teeth resisting the urge to shiver. The forensic scientist's hold was intensifying and the captain mirrored her action. The complete dark was little by little substituted by a intense white light, a distant voice followed. At first sounds couldn’t be recognized then the request arrived, clear as the sky in their minds. “Help, help us, we pray you!”

The voice was strong but transmitted discomfort, it appeared like it was sobbing. They squeezed their eyes waiting for more. “Our children, the only hope for our people, they are in great danger! One of them is awake and it is reaching a portal for your dimension, you must stop it, we can’t arrive in time!”

Regina open her eyes wide meeting bright green ones, in her dark irises was swimming apprehension and fear. It could be a trap, it could be anything.

The voice starts again:” They are very dangerous, they should sleep for hundreds of years waiting for us, but something is gone terribly wrong, you must close the portal. We beg you, it will be end of both dimensions, yours and ours!”

“How can a child be that dangerous? With who are we interacting?” They talk at the unison, her young friend was shaking, her hands sweating.

She and Emma, they wanted to get away from this kind of situations, away from risks, from harm, when they leaved Storybrooke. But it seems that you just can’t escape destiny.

“We need to know more, why only the two of us? How can we close that portal?”They keep asking. The silence fills the entire room with its heavy weigh for too many seconds. Finally the answer came:” Three of you should be enough, I sense great power in you, but please be careful, you could wake everyone with too much power and then it will be end for all of us!” The tone was firm, but tense, maybe even true.

What choices do we have anyway?

“ It will reach the portal in four of your days!”

Sharon could sense Regina’s reticence, an urge to prudence. “Creature, where is this portal?”

“Look at the sky above your heads and before tonight you shall see it.”

“But who are you? How can we trust you?” The frustration was enveloping the both of them, a characteristic tremble in their souls, a tremble of whose is losing control.

“You can’t comprehend us witches, we are far too complex and we are afraid that you have just to trust our voice, remember it will be annihilation for both dimensions.”

The communication ended with that, now the air was normal again, the tingle vanished. Freeing her hands with a deep breath, Sharon tried to keep her emotions from fighting inside her mind. The acid was rising in her throat and she swallowed it down. Their glares meet for an eternity before she managed to open her mouth:”We can’t that kind of risks, you know that too”.

Regina stared at her, blinking one, two, three times in a row, like she was recovering from an unexpected trauma, in the end she took her head in shaking hands. “We need three witches Sharon to close the portal, I don’t believe Emma is ready for that kind of control, not yet.”

We’ll need someone else. “ I don’t know anyone with a similar power, someone with a deeply knowledge of magic and with skills in a fight.” Suddenly her eyes lighted up and she smirked in victory. “Oh but I do, read to visit England Captain?”

England? She raised slowly a eyebrow, silently asking her to clarify. “She’s an old friend, she’ll help, I am sure. She works in an institute for witches, in the middle of England. I should be able to contact her by mirror, but we can’t give that kind of information not in person.”

Sharon took the low lip between her teeths thinking about the next steps, inform the team, Rusty, Emily and Ricky, then sail to the old continent. It will be a very busy week.

“ Sharon I will warn Miss Swan, I’ll leave Henry with her and I’ll take few days from work. How are we going to proceed? We must close that damned portal as fast as possible!”

Everything was accumulating in her brain, that bad migraine was increasing, massaging her temple furiously she signed loudly. Just now that there was some peace in the air! But difficulty must be faced, and Sharon O’Dwyer Raydor doesn’t hide behind a glass wall to the first winter breeze, no sire. “I’ll take days too and talk with Rusty, I’ll ask lieutenant Provenza to keep him, you buy the tickets for tonight, we have a time zone of almost eight hours against us, and I think we are going in a ten hours fly.”

Regina nodded quickly and stands, but in front the door she twirls violently. “You need to tell the Chief!” She stops the finger lifted in disapprove with a glare. “We both know that she’ll search for you everywhere at the tiniest lead she gets! You must tell her! Right now!” She doesn’t give the Captain the chance to replicate, slams the door and the clicking of her heels filled the corridors.

Luckily for her, Sharon doesn’t take orders from civilians.

Brenda Leigh Johnson, she would carry that absurd spear that she owns and won’t allow her to say _“no, you won’t come with us!”_

Therefore no, Brenda won’t know anything until it will be too late to do something about it, hoping that we survive and that she’ll see her again. Green forest eyes became shiny with unshed tears. She turned away those futile thoughts, this wasn’t the time to being carried away by emotions. With a hand she took the phone while the other was holding the now weighty and pulsating head.

A long, busy day indeed.                                                

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief informative space. Fritz doesn't exist in this universe, and yes Brenda Leigh Johnson owns a weird spear.


	3. Chapter 3

Regina Mills doesn’t run, doesn’t get scared and surely doesn’t panic. Well, today she was running in the labyrinth that is the LAPD, with her heart satur of fear and her hands trembling in panic.

She needed to speak with Emma, explain that she must take care of Henry, her little prince, she must keep him safe while his other mom goes on a suicidal mission, at best. Her eyes were blurring with tears at the only thought of leaving Henry, and being very honest with herself, leaving Emma, moron, Swan too. She was going to specify  that, _“Henry can’t be alone, you can’t come, you will not be useful to us Miss Swan!”_

As usual Emma Swan was in her “habitat”, leaning on a desk, a glossy donut in a hand and files in the other. The blonde curls served like a beacon in a dark sea, as the horrid red jacket. She reached her with heavy breath and tried to recompose herself before speaking, the other woman’s green eyes were already bright and big with worry. The donut was put on the desk, forgotten, as the files, a hand taking her upper arm in a firm but delicate hold.

“Regina what the hell is going on? Are you okay? Is it Henry? Is there fire? Somebody got shoot? Evil witches from Oz? Regina answer me don’t stand there just gaping at me!” Regina almost laughed, finding her adorable while she rumbles, but she recomposes and finally find her voice:” Calm down Mss Swan, I need to talk to you in private” – she casts a look to the full of people room – “and it is quite urgent.”

Her blond eyebrows reached her hairline, but she nods and with a strong hand on Regina’s back guides them to the interrogations room. Her touch succeeded in tranquilizing the witch, she doesn’t detach, but lean into it, appreciating the warm and comfort, for as long as she could.

They sit, Emma was staring at her, tender and apprehensive. The voice dies in her throat for few moments, then it comes to her, she tells everything, the extramundane interact, the danger, the apparent solution, she answer all the question, stops the inappropriate and idiotic ones with her practiced glare. Then she blocks the other woman, the other mother of her child, their child, from uttering a word. “You must stay with Henry, I won’t have you join us Emma!”

The knuckles were white, the stare determinate when she answer:” You are not going without me, I  promised our son to protect you, and that’s exactly what I am going to do! And it did told you that you’ll need to stop the beast-child right? I am bringing my sword and I am going to inform the Chief!”

“I said no Emma! This is not a open discussion, do you hear me? And don’t! Sharon will tell Brenda!” The smirk that dares to put on her lips doesn’t lead to anything good. Oh, how stubborn she is! But Regina Mills doesn’t lose an argument, not when the other mother of her child risks her life, on a probable trap, with her stupidity.

“I am sorry Regina, but you don’t get to decide, we are a team right? Now believe me, the Captain won’t talk to the Chief, so I am going now! Henry will stay with Provenza and Rusty, they’ll have fun eh!” The sarcastic answer that was coming on her tongue dies immediately as a warm hand comes to lightly caress her cheek, the she smiles. That awful bright smile that makes you forget how much you despise her. She is stacked, stoned on the chair, while the lieutenant goes to see Miss Atlanta.

_Damn it._

“Can y’all believe it? She wasn’t going to say anything! Oh that woman, horrible woman. She was going to die on a strange world that I don’t even comprehend. Not on my fucking watch! Mills you too, really? I am the Chief of the best team of detectives in all LA for heaven’s sake, I would’ve find ya in a blink of my fake eyelashes!” Chief Johnson was clearly very irritated, the sleeves of her pink blouse were rolled by her elbows, her gait was rambling, forehead furrowed and her brown eyes were almost a tone of red. They both walked past the door with identical looks and Regina rolled her eyes to the roof before following them. “I didn’t consent Miss Swan!”

At her growling words Brenda snorted loudly, convulsing pressing on the elevator button till its near break. “ As like we need your permission Mills, honestly!” The former Evil Queen reached the most treating tone before spitting in her face:” I could burn you into that spot Chief, I hope you are aware of that!”

In a blink of an eye, a beat of a heart, she finds her hands behind her in a strong hold. Brenda was keeping them still with a firm hand and staring in dark eyes, a bored and irritated expression on her face:” Ya’ll need to use your hands for that first, right? And for Christ’s sake Emma leave me, I wasn’t going to hurt her!” The southern accent was making a strong appearance, stress induced probably.

Only then she noticed Swan hand, tight on the Chief right arm, a perplexed glance that moves between Brenda and her.

Her wrist were set free and she swallowed her pride, mirroring herself in the intense chocolate eyes with her teeth bare on a silent growl. The petite blonde just snorts and twirls into the elevator.

_“How is she this fast? With such security in the movement?”_ With fissured eyelids she wonders. Emma saw her first, tried to stop her, but didn’t succeeded. Her heart was beating faster thinking at the consequences, _“of what is she really capable of doing with the weird spear?”_

“ I know Chief, it was a reflex.” The lolling face of Emma Swan had assumed a pink tint, her superior dismissed the implicit apology with a comprehensive nod of her head. The elevator stops at the FID floor. Brenda fly fast outside the metallic cage ad to get at Sharon’s office. No one stops them, or better no one would have dared to, looking at the war gait of Deputy Chief Johnson.

The door of the office opens with a loud bang and the Captain jumps out of her chair, wide open eyes. “Brenda Leigh?” she almost squeals.

You could see Brenda’s jaw tighten, her chest puffing up, Emma is at her side, tonic arms united at her chest, legs spread. Regina decides to sit, exasperated.

“You were letting me stay in the dark, weren’t you Captain? You would’ve preferred leaving me here, worried to death! And you call me imprudent and irrational?” Her chocolate eyes were in flames, her glare intimidator, not for Sharon, of course, who barely raised an irritate eyebrow. “And that’s precisely why I didn’t want to inform you, look at you, you are making a scene!” Brenda rolled her eyes until they were out of the orbits.

Covering her face with an hand Regina was praying to be elsewhere, even in Hell. _“No, nobody listen to me when I give an advice.”_ She thinks while throwing Sharon a flaming glance, whom ignores her.

“You are not my boss, when will you learn this simple but effective rule?” Her and her damned rules. “Fine think what ya want Sharon, but I will come with you, me and Swan will!” “You are not! Someone must stay with the boys in case anything happens.” Brenda takes a deep breath going around the desk, Sharon follows her with a unsure stare.

 

 

That maddening woman had her eyes glued on her, doesn’t give up a single step, and no sire, Brenda was not stopped to the sight of nude, long legs. Her hands were shaking from the need to hold her and jolt her. What was distracting her was the hairstyle chosen for today, few of her auburn locks enclosed on her head by an argent hair pin, making that delicate face pop up and her gentle beautiful green eyes even more hypnotic. But she blocked herself, concentrating on the emergency situation. “Sharon, listen to me, if you shouldn’t succeed to stop that… well that thing, whatever it is, there will be no one to protect anymore!”

Now the older woman was staring at her, she tried to not get lost in the forest enclosed in those shiny irises, for her fortune her eyelids started to blink until she closed them totally. It was clear, the pain visible in the tired lines of her face, she ached to soothe, to comfort, but she couldn’t, not now when she was trying to prove a point.

Regina and Swan were gone from her mind, she sees just Sharon, with her eyes close, eyelids tight, and then when she reopens them a wave of pure fear escapes and fills the room. It lasts little time, replaced by resignation and she nods. Brenda’s lips curve in a small smirk of victory, but it hurts, she didn’t want to cause such pain and fear, it was inevitable thought.

“When are we leaving?” Her tone teasing a bit. Regina pinched the bridge of her nose proclaiming with a frustrate voice:”I hate you, all of you!” Brenda just smiles looking at her lieutenant Swan.

They have very long three days ahead of them.

 

 

Regina had just finished enlightening the facts, dark eyebrows reaching the hairline of identical dark hair enclosed in a traditional and ordinate chignon, Hecate kept doing little nods, very rigid moves of her neck.

A strange, strange story, almost impossible. But if it is Regina Mills, daughter of Cora Mills, to tell you it with a worried stare in her usually composed face, well, you  tend to believe it.

She sips at her tea, that was served during the story. The delicate hand of Pippa was on her shoulder, intended to comfort, but it was almost a distraction, she could feel magic thickening around them, nearly tangible. Not that it bothers her, there were obviusly powerful forces in the little study, herself, Pippa, Regina and a very new one, archaic, coming from Sharon Raydor. Hecate stared at the witch trying to understand the origin of such odd power swirling into her and now, the air. But she found an enchanted labyrinth, a complicated one that you could easily get lost into. The high but warm voice of the pink witch startled her, “if you decide to go Hecate, then I shall come too.” She twirls in the chair ready to protest but immediately noticed her amber eyes bright in determination illuminating all the place. She could only weakly say:”It’s dangerous Pippa, and you have your own pupils to attend to, it is your duty as Headmistress of Pentangles.”Her beautiful face met Hecate’s, irony in the lines of her mouth, so little space separating them. “Are you saying I am not powerful enough, Hecate Hardbroom?”

She gapes, her mind blank, just useless gurgles filling her throat and a blast of embarrassment invest her like a hot breeze, her neck almost burns when she tries to speak. Somebody covers a laugh, very badly, with a cough and flames reach her cheeks but sweet, comprehensive Pippa smiles warmly and brushes her chin with two tiny fingers:”I know you are not, just teasing”- she winks and her heart trips in the rib cage-“but I won’t accept a no”.

She is lost in the white teeth, pink plump lips until her touch leaves, as does her glance. Immediately cold and insecurity replace them. Her usually pale cheeks were still a tone of rose, she order to them to turn back to normal, drinking the left tea and posing the empty cup on her lap, ignoring her hand trembling.

She hears Regina grumbling with a soft voice:” Blondes, the truly problem of the Universe”. Followed by some intense stares and a laughing Miss Raydor who nods. Miss Mills rejects her probable question with a tired gesture of her wrist before asking, now with a serious tone:” What then? I know I am asking a lot, but I really don’t know someone better than you to turn to.”

In all the time they knew each other she had never seen such vulnerability in those big dark brown eyes, she is nearly praying, if Regina Mills would do something so plebeian as praying, of course. The decision is easy, she doesn’t have the luxury of declining, she has to protect, to defend. Sure, dragging Pippa in a unstable situation and a hypothetically death promising mission wasn’t ideal, but convincing her otherwise would’ve been impossible.

Stubborn Pipsqueak she is.

“I shall come with you, I would like to worn Miss Cackle first, my Headmistress, and prepare my belongings, I suppose it is a urgent quest to attend to.” Regina sighed in relief and smiles with Morgana asleep on her lap, her fur ruffled from the petting, at least somebody is happy. “We’ll take the first plain tomorrow morning, you have all the time you need, Hecate, thank you.”

Pippa noticed her abruptly stiffening through the hand still on her shoulder before she spoke, her tone hard and quivering. “We shall fly on brooms, of course, I have no intention on flying in a metallic cage!” At this point Miss Swan bursts into a proper fit of laugh on the sofa.

Outrageous, Hecate can feel her magic flowing till to her fingertips, ready to strike, to turn her into a bloody pumpkin. Regina glares at her with such fire to incinerate a dragon and she calms down a little. Even so the outrage will not be forgotten, it is marked with fire in her heart.

“Hecate that will take days and you have to cross all the ocean! We must reach the portal as soon as possible, tomorrow!” Mills voice screamed the urgency but every cell, every pore of her skin screamed no, to respect tradition, witches don’t use airplanes, that frivolous things. She was trembling on the chair, the voice of her father, the low tones of Miss Broomhead attacking her mind with disappointment. Dishonor, disgrace, her nails were creating angry red stains on her hands, she didn’t notice. The world was spinning fast while she tried to restrain he emotions, the nightmares, scars burning on the wrists, temples pulsing, she sees blurred worried eyes staring at her. She struggles to breath, it burns in her windpipe that seems closed, the need to disappear, to escape pierces her and she must go, must get away.                                      

A hot touch brushes her hand, another one touches her cheek, little by little she recognizes the calm tune of Pippa, even if she can’t understand a word. After what felt like an eternity she succed to focus on her face, she was on her knees, a hand on hers and another holding her burning face. She smiles slowly and when finally her wet eyes found the courage to met brown ones, Hecate recognize pure panic, well covered.

_“What have I done?”_

She looks around, trying to breath normally, searching for any damage her magic could have inflicted but everything was at the right place, and no one was hurt. She didn’t lose control of her magic, that still tingles inside her wanting out. Her mouth was arid like Sahara and her head pulsed frantically, suddenly the tiredness invest her like a blanket, but she reject it, focusing every fiber of herself to sense Pippa’s skin on hers, following the lines on her face, a path to safety and finally she understands the words:” Ehi, here you are, made a good trip on that marvelous brain of yours? All alright Hecate?” Her thumb was drawing little circles on the back of her hand and the continuity of gesture was leading her to stability, faster than usual.

In solitude this attacks lasted hours and left her in shock for days, now with her presence, the tenderness with she practically pulled her out of the clutches of her own mind, it lasted only few minutes.

“Now look at me, I know very well how you feel about traditions and all of that, but we are trying to save the world here, don’t you think? I think we can make an… an exception, and I would like you to know that times are changed! I took the plain several times, like many other witches. There’s nothing wrong in that, doesn’t matter what those evil voices were whispering to you in your beautiful complicated head.” Her voice was nothing but a whisper.

Her breath stopped in the throat, she understood what exactly the shadows of her past had orchestrated, her heart warmed and broken, Pippa knows her so fiercely, so fully even after all this years apart. Thirty years, from that awful day of the broomstick water sky demonstration, the day that Hecate decided to let her best friend finally shine without her tapping her shiny wings. She was still sure it was the best decision, was she? Yes she most certain was, Pippa succeeded in realizing all her dreams, being a headmistress of her own magical school, Pentangles, just as she had hoped.

Her eyes were filling with unshed tears, she closes her eyelids to eliminate them, feeling ridiculous enough without crying, tears manifesting her weakness. Taking the few emotional forces that had left she nods firmly, relaxing her fingers and desisting to show pain of the fresh moon marks on her palms, accustomed to ache, it was an old friend afterall.

Pippa was still observing her, so beautiful and sweet to nearly hurt, Hecate resist at the urge to hold her tight, to kiss her soft hand still on her cheeks, but she does offer the other witch her hand, helping her to stand up. She struggle to make a tiny smile, to make her understand how much grateful she is to have her light back in her life, she already knows it appears broken, she hopes it’s enough anyway.

Her teeth remain visible just to Hecate for longs heartbeat before she turns, her arms stretched lightly while the taller witch tries to recompose. She feels exhausted, craves tranquility, to close her eyes and bury herself under many soft thick blankets, disappear from the world.

Morgana jumps on her lap and she sigh in the comfort and the familiarity it allows her. The cat starts purring and she bends her head to lose herself in her soft fur. When she raise it again she finds just the magenta witch watching her, all the others are gone. Unexpectedly she finds her voice:”Pip… ehm Pippa? Where are… everyone else?” The witch was comfortably lining on the couch, her nude legs on the backrest of the sofa, the contrast between creamy pink and the black of the velvet toke your breath away.  

The blond witch answers her biting on a glossy pink donut:”Oh don’t worry about it, I transferred them, telling them to enjoy the evening, you know... the ball. While we’ll inform Miss Cackle that we are going to London tomorrow morning, and then leave to Los Angeles. Can you image Hiccup? Ever been to Los Angeles?”

Pippa Pentangle could fill a house with her only presence, she warmed it, her shades adapting to every ambient and any place mould around her, you couldn’t forbear to stare at her.

Regardless of her emotional state her heart was beating like a bull one, trying to overcome sleep. If she had the courage to dream big she would’ve already pictured this similar scenario, Pippa on her couch eating candies as she drinking greedily in the celestial vision after a stressful day. But she always drowned in her cowardice.

Her best friend was still enthusiastic talking about Los Angeles with a tone that heat you up better that a fire in the middle of the winter. The world is at a step from the chasm and she adorably thinks at which pair of sunglasses she should bring:”because at LA there’s always the Sun Hiccup, maybe you could take a little color, too, but we’ll need something to protect your pale skin, or you’ll burn!” Her pragmatism was about to make her stop the river of words but she preferred to let her voice caress the air, her dreamy smile illuminate her universe.

Anyhow she finish her discourse, seating up on the sofa, but Hecate doesn’t have the guts to look her in the eyes and instead stares at the grey wall behind her.

“Better Hecate? Maybe I should let you rest, look at me foolish rambling of frivolous things. I should go.” She stands and does few steps toward the door, the taller witch stops her  escaping from her trance:”No Pippa, I shall follow you, I must communicate with Ada and I have few young monsters to control”.

Miss Pentangle stares at her as she was about to stop her, you could read on her tense lips the precise words that are trying to escape : _”No Hiccup, you need to rest and surely you are not the only one who can check the students!”_ But just a deep exhale is left in the air and then she links their arms. The warmth that radiates from her naked skin it is all Hecate needs to face the rest of the evening.   

   


	4. Chapter 4

 

“It was fucking strange, if you ask me. Are we even sure that she is sane enough to help us? And the pink lady, is she up to the job?” She received the usual sarcastic answer:”No Miss Swan, we are obviously come here to enjoy a scholastic ball, with no alcohol, out of tune chants and when, what is the time?”- she looks at a wrist watch that doesn’t exist-“When we have less than 48 hours to the possibly end of Los Angeles and the entire globe.” Emma just throws her a unimpressed glare showing her teeth, realizing in person that the punch was really without a trace of alcohol.

“ _What the hell is wrong with this school? First rule: put alcohol in the punch; Second rule: dress ugly; Third rule: embarrass yourself. Honestly they are missing the basis in this God forsaken castle, lost in the fog._ ”

“You shouldn’t underestimate her, Emma. If the coven of witches of England were to be in danger they’ll call her, immediately, putting her on the front as first line of defenses.” The voice of the other mother of her cheeky kid was low, almost threatening, a mysterious smile on her ruby red lips.

The orange liquid was swirling in the cup, she shared a brief but intense look with Brenda and Sharon, who seemed to be deep in reflection on the affirmation.

 “Are you telling me that she’s a military witch?” The combo sounded roughly wrong on her tongue, staring at Regina perplexed, hiding her free hand in her tight grey trousers. “I wouldn’t say that, but she was called in action at several times of crisis and obtained great results.” The thing just didn’t convinced the blonde totally. Hecate seemed too unstable, tense and sharp-tempered. But probably, thinking about it, you could use the same adjectives to describe herself, Chief Johnson, whom expression mirrored hers. Forehead furrowed in reflection, teeth biting discreetly her low lip and arms nestled tight on the chest. The black jacket with flower fantasy was all wrinkled, as well as the matched trousers, the white cotton blouse appeared to be too long for her small and tonic figure. Emma suppressed the laugh bubbling into her chest thinking at how and when, exactly, she bought that outfit.

Sharon moistened her lips before speaking her thoughts:” I could sense her aura, of her magic, and is wide, powerful, I perceive it sizzling against mine without any fear. I sense Miss Pentangle’s too, sweeter of course, les massive, but not to underestimate. I think they’ll be valuable to the quest, even so, I am sure I never seen so much hidden pain behind a so enormous power from well”- her sprinkling green eyes met with Regina’s- “Quite some time”.

Emma always trusted the rational judgment of the Captain, you can rely on her lucid and critic impartial mind. With the tail of her eye she noticed Brenda losing her arms, her furrowed forehead now calm and pure curiosity navigating her defined features.

“Alright then, but a military witch? Seriously? What… don’t tell me, she a magic bazooka hidden in her tight black dominatrix robe?” Dark eyes darted invisible darts before rolling to the roof as it was a involuntary move. “Really, Miss Swan? Hecate owns a sword enchanted by herself with rare and complicated potions.”

Her chin touched her chest in disbelieve. “What? I can’t even phantom her with a sword in those bony hands!” Brenda, eating the billion donuts, answered immediately with her annoying sweet accent:” Jealous Swan?” She snorted loudly, refusing even that thought, jealous of what? Some strange magic sword?

Sharon giggled softly behind her hand almost trying to not hurt her frail pride. Emma chosen to concentrate on other things, for the moment.

The ball was at its highest moment all around them, sure the chants were pitiful but the girls were smiling with all the hearts, laughing and dancing without any synchrony. Maybe Henry would’ve liked it, mingling with magic in a so innocent and safe way. The pizza was really good, the organ lady was playing with abandon and security with a generous dose of full craziness. Now a enthralling tune hovered in the room. Her foot started to stomp with the beat, Regina smirked in victory:” Why don’t you join your peers?” The angles of her mouth almost touched her eyes while she indicate the dance floor.

“I am sorry but this, is not my jam!” The smirk only increased. “Of course, and, what would be your… **“jam”** , Miss Swan?” She was ready to educate her with some good rock and roll but she got abruptly interrupted by two witches in pink and one, very upset, in black.

The witch that wasn’t Pippa Pentangle brought her hand to the forehead with a slow bow before presenting herself:”Welcome sisters to Cackles academy, I am Ada Cackle, headmistress of this school, I believe you already met Miss Hardbroom my Deputy and Miss Pentangle headmistress of her own school that is present today, for the occasion.” The round face together with the aged glasses immediately gives the impression of sweetness, as her delicate but reassuring voice.

Emma extended her hand, and the other witch squeezed it with no hesitation, Miss Hardbroom’s eyes became so big to inglobe the entire room. Then Ada restarted to talk:”Miss Hardbroom informed me of the delicate situation, I would very much like to contribute but I need to take care of two schools now, many young pupils must be kept safe. Now… now the bare minimum that I can do is to offer you a place to stay for the night, thanks to my ancestors we have many rooms available”.

Now, a witch that inspires sympathy, finally, her silver hair and little round glasses much like Harry Potter’s ( who Regina told them to not nominate, because apparently it was all absurd shits invented by a non-witch. But how can somebody not love the unfortunate little brave wizard?).

Anyhow she was looking at them with wide bright light blues eyes, a limpid sky without clouds or walls obscuring the view. Emma surprised herself into thinking of an exchange with the scorn dark gangly witch. Even Brenda was smiling at her sincerely while chatting, Miss Cackle was particularly interested at her “normal job” and the Chief, forced by the Captain, was explaining her why it was illegal to use a potion such as “Cana Veritas” to interrogate a suspect.

They accepted fast the gentle offer to stay there the night, then tomorrow morning leave for London.

Miss Hardbroom was restless in appearing and disappearing all around the room to check on the terrified students, Miss Pentangle kept watching Regina with not veiled suspect, whom was faking interest on the architecture of the castle. Emma was simply enjoying the show, the hot pizza and the light atmosphere. They have very stressful days ahead and a mission with a unsure end.

Henry had smiled proudly to the both of them with his typical look _“my moms are going to save the world together again!”_ He had gathered all of his things that moment, pajamas, t-shirts, toothbrush, several comics and, of course, all the videogames that Rusty doesn’t own. Poor Provenza with two teenagers in the house.

That night he had embraced them strongly, looking closely at both with determination, they already knew the implicit message. They were obligated to protect each other, he pretends that they return to him in one piece and with a imaginary, quiet medals on their necks. Even if Emma had to penetrate hundreds of these “monsters” to create a enormous disgusting skewer, this is exactly what he shall have. Just remembering his watering eyes when Regina broke from his embrace it provokes a tiny cut on her Charming heart. It was in that precise moment when Emma Swan swore again to herself to bring her back to him, should it ends with her idiotic Charming ass cut in half. Really, it could be even a funny scene, picturing it she bites her tongue to blood trying to not laugh out loud, causing a _“damn it”_ to escape her mouth. She find several questing faces in her directions, she softly apologizes.

Meanwhile the jet lag started to do victims, it was just eleven pm o’clock but sleep was already behind her lashes, her head was blowing and she feels unstable on her feet. Brenda was yawing every two seconds, Sharon had her glasses in one hand and the other was cradling her forehead, Regina continued to have the composure of a Queen but her dark eyes were lucid and absent. It was kind of cute, Emma suppressed the improvise urge to trap the tiny queen in heavy blankets and let her sleep in her arms.

She limited to finish the last slice of succulent pizza and indicate clearly that it was time to pass out in a bed, possibly on a fluffy one.

Miss Cackle showed them the way to their chambers after they said farewells to Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangle, what kinds of names, really.

Tomorrow they will take the second plain in two days. In that exact instant she realizes how much of an asshole she had been for insisting to come, she was of no use in this freezing castle.

The castle was truly a freezer and a dreary one, she was shivering and trembling with her all body. She really hoped the blankets were up to the job, because in the future she was already seeing a permanent and nasty fever.

They have four separate chambers. The design was, how to define it, absent? A bed with a heavy woolly blanket, small closet, a scratched desk an little window with bars. It seems like being in the orphanage again, or worse in jail, it will not be a splendid night then. Regina makes her stuff appear in her gloomy and empty room. Gives her a last glance, tired but comprehensive, while she whisper:” Goodnight Emma, try to sleep, we’ll need you tomorrow”. Then she is gone, closing the heavy door behind, leaving Emma with her demons with just her little smile as defense, her low voice to untangle the blonde from the nightmares. She flips on the bed, comfortless but warm, and abandons herself to Orpheus, whom reclaims all her attention.

 

Pippa knew perfectly that her Deputy would oppose to the mission, but with mirror connection was easier to impose her status smiling and gently tell her that she couldn’t decide anything. Now the packing problem, better to do a transfer when this close that transoceanic ones. Amplifying of a lot the trolley that she had already there with a fast spell, filling it with all the essentials. Two of everything that seemed essential, soon she had to amplify the trolley again. Adding the second beauty, needful for a travel under the Sun, with a satisfied gesture she closed the baggage.

Turning to ask Hecate if she was done she found her seated on the sofa, big and incredulous eyes, a little lather bag on her feet. “Hiccup, are you bringing just this little bag?” Her eyelids just opened more, if it was possible. Her red mouth was gaping like red fish one, before she stiffens her spine and speaks:” Pippa, we’ll stay there just the time necessary to accomplish the mission, I don’t think I am going to need much”. She was glaring at the big, pink and glittered trolley, with disgust. Ignoring her, not subtle, reprimand the pink witch seated next to her.

Obviously she scouts away of few precious inches, but Pippa doesn’t let her escape from her glance, the tiredness is impressed in the profound eye bags, in the rigidity of the jaw stopping it from produce a yawn. God forbid she lose a bit of control and shows weakness, her fingers itches to caress the pale skin, to tell her that is normal to let go, to being exhausted, and it is perfectly acceptable to show it.

She became even more rigid, more closed and hard. The years of their separation have tighten the shell outside, nourished the pain inside and alimented the fear in those beautiful raven eyes. She still doesn’t have a complete explanation to that abandonment and she doesn’t think she’ll get it now. She doesn’t even feel resentment, or hate, never hate. Inside the sadness expand, the love never died and the regret for all those years throwen to the wind. She wants to shake the other witch, say to her everything her mouth aches to say, grasping her face and kiss her. She can’t do any of that, she just smile sweetly and cover the pale hand with hers.

Hecate trembles and stares at their hands combined as they were things of another world, doesn’t lift her glance but inhales roughly. Pippa’s voice falls to a whisper:”Are you serene for tomorrow?”

She keeps analyzing their fingers touching, nods slowly and finally speaks:”I would still prefer to convince you to let me go alone”. The blonde shakes her head and draws little circle on the back of her hand. “You know it’s impossible, and I am sure I’ll be very helpful! You’ll need me.”

Especially if she regarded the **“team”** right. A powerful but irritable witch, one with magic but without any comprehension of it, a mysterious non-witch and a witch with a magic so strange, dense and arcane that it still hunts her.

She was lost in her thoughts that doesn’t notice Hecate lifting her glance to her face. At once they eyes collide and she gets invested in the warm of the admiration before her Hiccup retract abruptly. She stands and with complex, absolutely not necessary, movements of her wrists points at an unidentified place in the space. “I better show you my guests room, mmh if you don’t prefer another room, of course, I am sure there are some free, I can show you them as well. Ehm how, I don’t wish to mmh I don’t know if you’ll find this one of your liking. Certainly there are bigger ones or… decorated better and… what Pippa?”

Her neck was pulsing red, her glance changing directions the all time while her hands were creating strange circles by her hips. Pippa could recognize and embarrassed Hecate even in a billions of years, she could swear it on the Moon and Stars. She couldn't stop the smile that broke her rosy face, she was so adorable, the mask of ice that doesn’t success to stay up, she stops herself from crashing her friend in a bones cracking hug and never let her go.

Now she must stop the babbling phase, reaching her, with a finger brushing her quivering chin, with delicacy she made the taller witch watch her. Now the cheeks were red too. “Hecate, dear, of course I’ll stay here, your guest room will be perfection.”

Stopping the nervous babbling of which she had fallen victim, she closed the mouth with a snap and the hands too had stopped the elegant movements. Hecate nods, a hint of a stoic smile pulling at her lips. She guides Pippa in the chamber a relaxing silence hovering the place.

The little room was an exact double of Miss Hardbroom own bed chamber, she was sure of it without even seeing it. Neither in young age she was able to personalize a space, sure the books were the principal ornament, but there weren’t  pictures nor paintings. In spite of it her presence was perceived clearly, her elegance, the minimalism and the dark colors. She smiles and flips on the canopy bed emitting a tired snort. The mattress was of the right rigidity, exactly what you would aspect from Hecate Hardbroom, who loves to sleep and would never admit it.

She yawns, suddenly even the neck was rigid and her back was cracking like an old, not oiled mechanism.

“I think… that is time to go to sleep, Miss Pentangle.” Her black eyes were rich with playfulness, eyebrows tensed to highlight the ludicrous use of the surname. “But, Miss Hardbroom it is already past the curfew?” She fakes juvenile surprise. The taller witch snorted at the tone, folds her arms on the chest, to remark authority, which she doesn’t have on Pippa. “Precisely Miss Pentangle!” She smiles at the low e threatening tone, for a moment it seems to be in a strange parody of a porno, she cough to cover a laugh at the image. “Goodnight Hiccup, try to rest.”

Her timbre suddenly become gentle, shy when she gives her goodnight, twirls and dematerialize into thin air.

Pippa collapse on the bed rimmed with grey and black sheets, in her head a tangle of memory starts to form a very bad edited movie, without a chronologic sense. A young Hecate smiling at her like the world started and ended with her, that hateful witch **“her old  friend”** that keeps not understanding anything, them together, her friend that leaves her, not a explanation, the years of heartbreaks in seeing her in conventions and not being able to talk to her, night passed rethinking of a carefree past but painful at the same time.

All of it conduced them there, together, to face a dangerous and tangible threat. Their magic that interacts, the shy touches that creates gleams in the dark, bringing warm to the heart. With this melancholy thoughts in mind she changes in her nightgown of rose silk and she prays to a serene night of sleep.                        

 At the sunrise a sound wakes her from the deep sleep in what she had fallen, she understands immediately who it could be. With a mumbling she says to enter. A leather black arm open the door and it follows a dark gangly figure, bringing a tray, the figure smiles lightly and pronounce a good morning barely audible.

The tray, she understands very quickly, is full with breakfast. A cup of tea fuming, cream, glossy donuts, a chocolate one and a strawberry one. She almost declares her infinite love, she must have been in the cold dungeon that is the kitchen to get her breakfast. She dares for an instant to picture a similar future, finding that little sleepy face every morning, between the annoyed and the relaxed. Her heart jumps in the ribcage while she tries to recover :”Good morning Hiccup, there… there was no need to bring me breakfast in bed.” That is a really romantic gesture, one she doesn’t realize, she is sure. She seat and rest on the backrest.

She fake ignores the little false step that costs her almost the equilibrium the moment she notice her nightgown. Her nightdress has an evident cleavage, rimmed with lighter pink lace. Now she knows that every fiber of Hecate concentration was going to be dedicate to watch her in the eyes or the wall behind, not a point lower. In any other situations whoever would been tented to just say that she can look, that her glance on me was anything but bothersome, but this is not one of that situations. She limits to show her bigger smile.

“I wanted… to thank you, mmh for yesterday, and well, I have been told to act like a good host.” She tells while posing the tray on Pippa’s knees, but doesn’t sit. She even makes a few steps back:”well then, I’ll let you have your meal in pace and to prepare yourself. I’ll be in the staff room, later Pipsqueak.”

She disappear before she could open the pink lips, she takes comfort in biting a donuts and in sipping the tea, orange and cinnamon, Hiccup remembers then.  

  

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet little Dimity Drill cameo in this one.   
> Hecate doesn't like what's happening one bit.

The ice cold of the castle penetrated everywhere, she could feel it infiltrate in her old tired bones. The beige nightdress and nightgown did nothing to protect her from freezing. Tying tightly the nightgown she opens the door, hearing chatting outside. In fact a irritable Brenda Leigh had a blanket on her shoulders and was talking with a trembling Regina, her blue silked nightdress tight around her tiny frame. They turn to look at her, Brenda does a little nod with her head before resting it against the door, Regina muttered a good morning with chattering bare teeth. They heard a loud bang suddenly, Emma Swan was now outside of her personal cave, growling to the world with her yummy burgers pajamas, Sharon spends the first giggle of the day. Regina is bend in half in the same moment.

Swan doesn’t take it lightly, obviously not being a morning person, with her face signed still with sleep lines she growls:”What is so funny? It’s freezing in here! How the hell they live in this forsaken castle? Thinking of it in Hell it should be hot, at least!” The contrast between the irate voice and the childish pjs is exhilarating, Brenda gives up the façade and starts to laugh, an exasperated Emma slams the door with authority.

In the middle of the corridor appears Miss Hardbroom, her long hair free of its usually chignon cage, dressed in a black scaled nightdress, fake dragon skin. Her eyebrows arched toward the centre of her forehead, she glares at them, one by one with the same looming stare. Then she exhales and starts to explain the last details, whispering:”Ladies I invite you to get ready and to meet us downstairs for the breakfast, then we’ll proceed to leave right away.” Her voice scratched as it was equipped with cat nails, then with a fast gesture of her hand she disappear into the void.

“I hate when she does that, without any warning. She’ll give me an heart attack for God sake!” Brenda openly manifested her malcontent and Sharon could understand why, it was a very fastidious habit. Then she sensed brown warm eyes travelling on her bare legs, the blush reached her neck, she fast entered in her room slamming the door behind her.

It was a maddening, nerve-breaking situations that escapes her perfect control. She has been straight her whole life, and now she fell so hard for a crazy unstable adorable woman who gave her hell from the first time they saw each other. She knows that Brenda likes her, or at least is attracted to her, she perceives her stares, the way her breath stops in certain moments, the little tiniest of the smile she does when is sure that Sharon can’t see, she sees everything. Brenda ignores her feeling, the older woman mad sure of that, she isn’t ready, she doesn’t know if she’ll ever be. She doesn’t want to get hurt again, isn’t sure she’ll ever recover from it, her heart is already broken in so many pieces barely fitting together and glued with frail, cheap, material. No, a love story isn’t what she needs now, she has her beautiful and caring kids to look after, her job and now a imminent apocalypse. Even if everything aches in her to reach out, to feel loved again, she can’t simply allow that, not today, or the next months. Anyhow she is almost sure that The Chief doesn’t love her, not the way she does. She can’t permit herself to be a mere fling, not again.

Putting aside this too much deep thoughts for the early morning she put on a warm light blue suit.

The shivering cold that was taking possess of her toned down a bit while she sipped her coffee, espresso, prepared by the simpatic Italian cook. She does some small talks with Ada Cackle, the headmistress bites a definitely too caloric cheesecakes for breakfast. The Chief arrives soon and with a grateful sigh takes the cup of caffeine that The Captain offers her, mumbling still half asleep:”You are the only think worth waking up for.” And then launches immediately on the cheesecakes, so Sharon doesn’t really understand at who or at what she was referring to. Miss Cackle throws her a curious look but she just shakes her head, Brenda Leigh is a mystic experience so early in the morning.

Follow a grumpy Emma Swan in jeans and a red jumper, she too decides for the cake:”Oh, this! This cheesecake is a miracle, thank you!” She compliments the headmistress, Brenda nods satisfied.

Regina and Hecate entered the staff room mumbling with each other, she couldn’t understand a word because the conversation ended on the door. Mills inhaled her coffee and looked at the cake with diffidence, deciding for a red apple, predictable. Miss Hardbroom was sipping her tea slowly, eying in a judging way the jeans on Miss Swan, probably not noticing the pinkish one of Brenda and the Tweety yellow cardigan that contrasted badly with her blond hair. Unfortunately Sharon found her adorable even dressed like that, the deep eye-bags and the mouth full of unhealthy sweet food. It may seems an attack on her persona, but in the day-life all the problems and the worries disappear just looking at her fighting with things. And, in fact, there she is, Brenda Leigh Johnson, Chief of the more prestigious unity of LAPD, fighting with a chair, that obviously doesn’t obey her.

Suddenly in a tangle of black and green robe a witch, that she had saw barely the night before, enters the staff room, breathing heavy, the whistle bouncing on her chest while she reached the table, her smile could illuminate a sunless galaxy. “There you are! Finally, I thought I had lost my chance to know some of your **friends**  HB. No offense but with Pippa I already screamed at the miracle. Oh, well met, well met sisters I am Dimity Drill, P.E teacher, what a strange giddy group you are!” Hecate was launching her invisible darts with her eyes, but the young witches just ignored her. Regina stared at her from the edge of the cup, briefly presenting herself.

The room was now crowded. The conversation flood naturally, explanations were given and Dimity Drill didn’t disappoint in facial expression. The dark curious eyes rushed between Miss Cackle and Emma, who was illustrating her the situation contoured with details, and her personal commentary. Regina nodded from time to time and Sharon gave specifications when needed. Soon all was clear.

“So, if I understood everything, you are going in six, two without the use of magic, in a unknown universe not being certain that you won’t get killed the minute you walk the rim of a portal somewhere up in the sky?” Her voice became a incredulous squeak on the last words. Emma nodded gravely with blonde eyebrows arched in strange angles and the teeth bare in embarrassment. “Sure as hell you are brave!”

“Precisely Miss Drill, there are too much lives on the stake for risking to underestimate the threat.” Sharon hopes her tone could be calmer and be more secure then she was at the moment. “And I’d like to say that I have the absolute trust in our team, this is not the first storm that we face together.” She knows that she is the one who had to bring positivity in this group of misfits scared cats. Regina smile warmly at her, the lieutenant and the Chief cheered with the cups in a ridiculous way.

“I don’t know you well Miss Ray but I trust you, I’d put my life in your hands right now!” The nickname made her smile and the young witch smiled with her. The atmosphere was lighter now, loose in something warm and comfortable.

From nothing appears a pink spot, associated immediately with Pippa Pentangle. She seemed to fill the entire room with only her glittering presence. She crosses glance with Brenda from the other side of the table, the brown eyes were already up to the roof, too pink then.

Miss Cackle invites her to have a bite but she refuses with a smirk:” In truth Miss Cackle, I have been treated like a princess, with breakfast in bed and everything!” Her glance switched on Miss Hardbroom, whom now is tomato red and covering her face with a bony elegant hand. Dimity and Emma spitted their drinks in synchrony, then tried to cover the giggles with improvised coughs. Sharon sensed the embarrass expand in the room in thick waves coming from the all in black witch, she doesn’t uncovers her eyes, not even to glare at the two laughing women. Brenda just turned her eyes up to the roof, again, while Miss Cackle looked very satisfied and produced a quiet applause. Pippa winked at Regina and mimicked a soundless “ops” with tense lips.

“HB you surprise me every day! Now I shall go, the girls need some warm-up, they are already celebrating your little vacancy!” Hardbroom proceeded to glare at her between her shacking fingers, Dimity wished them good luck and leaved with a bouncing little run.

The air was cut by “HB”, whom speaks fast and with a trembling, for embarrassment or maybe rage, voice:” Hmm I believe we should start to reach the road, ehm Miss Pentangle have you…?” Pippa jumps on the spot and nods with a bright smile, trying to repair at the previous mishap, perhaps. “Of course Hecate, the taxi is probably already outside!” They move outside the walls of the castle with the packing, she immediately notices the enormous pink trolley and snorts shaking her head, it’ll be a complicated long journey. 

 

Leaving the castle was going to be harder then she thought, her duty was to stay there with the girls, shaping them to be the future of the Craft. She belongs to Ada’s side, as her deputy headmistress, but the reality complicates even the simple of the truths. She is now forced to leave this sacred place of sapience for trying to save it, to save the entire world. She repeat herself that she’ll do everything to return in victory, but nothing is sure in this world surrounded by stale grey shades.

She doesn’t promise because promises have betrayed her entire live.

The nails sticks in the soft skin of her hands closed in fists by her hips, she gives her farewell to Ada, whom is looking at her with so much trust, trust that she doesn’t deserve. She feels fresh tears swelling in her traitor eyes, but remains stoic while saying the few words she is capable of:” Goodbye Miss Cackle, I’ll be back as soon as possible.” The witch stares at her closely for long moments, then smiles, pose a gentle hand on a stiff shoulder and slowly squeezes. She gives Hecate strength, her blue eyes are now watering:”Of course Hecate, I trust you to come back victorious, we will be waiting with open arms.” The words hits her in the ribs, they remind her that this is her place too, that someone will be waiting for her return. She has a home here, something she never had since when her mother passed away, since when she abandoned Pippa.

Suddenly her legs trembles but she stomp her feet to the ground, filling her lungs with cold air, before bending in a bow. She prays that the words she can’t emit arrives to her anyway, because she knows her, reads in her obscure eyes everything.

The last thing that she sees is her toothless smile, then she twirls and gain the rest of the company. Pippa waits for her and tangle their arms, like when they were fearless children, the white cotton blouse on her is strange, as the pink jumper and the pink  skirt. A witch doesn’t dress like that, but now she doesn’t have the breath to condemn it because it’s stuck in her throat. The blonde head rests on her shoulder and she can almost taste the sweet flowery perfume, Hecate smiles a bit seeing her friend yawn loudly.

She sense the tiny hair on her nape rising and she notices the strange stare that she is receiving from Miss Swan, of course, she had to ruin the moment. She clears her throat with decision, to obtain her attention:”Something interesting to share Miss Swan?” She jumps, just like one of her students, Pippa embraces her more tightly and she suppress the instinct to get lost in her warm and forget the world.

“Ahm, yea, see lady we have to pass controls, you are really coming dressed like that? They could make problems, and where the hell you hide that famous sword, it certainly can’t squeezes in that little bag?” She sense the tiny heave of her friend at the word “sword” but she ignores it for the moment, now she has to fight against the irritation that provokes in her the idiot with ripped denim. With the tail of her eye she sees Regina snort and an expression of annoyed disbelieve is post on her face. _“How she put up with her, she doesn’t know.”_

“My way of dressing is certainly more appropriate than yours, Miss Swan, an about my sword, it is a professional secret that belongs to us witches. You wouldn’t understand!” She gapes like a little red fish and Hecate internally screams victory, until she makes few fast and threatening steps towards their position. She immediately positioned herself in front of Pippa, arms stretched and ready, for any eventuality. The non-witch does have magic.

Fortunately, for her, she is stopped by Miss Johnson who proceeded to shout at her with authority:” Lieutenant Swan calm your nerves for the love of God! It is too early in the morning to start a fight!” Green bright eyes keeps glaring with hostility but she relaxes her muscles, finally calming down.

The fellowship wasn’t the best, but really, team work was never her forte. Pippa seems annoyed now at her side and shakes her pretty head. “Hiccup, I know it is difficult but we can’t start to fight already.” Her sweet eyes pointed at me , almost praying, an hint of a playful smirk on her lips.

Hecate exhales a long breath, with the eyes narrowed on the infuriating blonde, she does a little nod, she can’t deny her anything, not when she is looking at her like that. Her smirk grows, and that quiets he soul.

Finally the taxi arrives, a round man in a too small suit presents himself as Jack Caplen. Quickly he puts the baggage on the back of the machine, while chatting animatedly, too much for her tastes, but Pippa was enthusiastic and laughed at his stupid jokes.

Emma Swan was wearing the same irritated face, at least something in common. It is a start.

Having never been in a taxi before in her life Hecate got closer to look at it. It seems a normal automatic machine with three doors. It is perfectly clear to her the mechanism of its functions, the utility of the pistons and the flammable carburant. What she didn’t really comprehend was the not use of a different kind of carburant, one that doesn’t destroy our planet. The witches have provided different ecologic variations, but were never utilized. But now there are heavier question to weight, like the imminent apocalypse or the raspberry high-heels on Pippa’s feet, the curve of the calf, and she stops right there not allowing her gaze to wonder above, surely unwanted.

They occupied the taxi, Pippa insist that is her duty to make company to the taxi driver sitting near him. With precaution she takes the last spot behind, near the window, curious of the landscape seen from that low angle. With the tail of her eye she sees Regina taking place to the opposite window. The rest takes place ahead of them, Swan darts her a glare that she mirror with aggravation.

That woman is capable to prime every single nerve that she owns and she can’t understand properly why. Maybe there is the blond hair, that isn’t Pippa or Ada, maybe the stupid arrogant expression on her face. Probably it is the lack of respect toward magic and the Craft. The thought of regaining said sword to stick her with it represent itself more pressing.

She repeats Pippa's words in her head, like a mantra and swallows the growing hostility in her stomach.

Regina is leaning on her window, scrutinizing the woods with eyes of a witch who knows and comprehend what she sees. The machine is too fast to catch the right shades of nature that surround us, pity, because there is so much to be observed. She remembers clearly the petals of colorful flowers reflecting in amber sweet eyes of her Pipsqueak. The marvel in noting the tiniest difference, the pride in knowing their name, their role, all impressed in her dreamy features. Fractures of an adolescence now long behind them, impossible to replicate.

She sense a melancholic sigh leaving her lips and then she perceives another pair of ebony eyes on her, a hint of a smile appearing on blood red lips. _“Did she lost herself in the waves of reminiscences and happier day too?”_

They are related spirits, she and Regina Mills, she understood it when they were younger, when those wide young eyes crossed those of her mother, Cora Mills, and she recognized terror in them. Since then it was crystal clear that they were suffering the same torment. From that moment they understood each other deeply, a bond that goes beyond ages and dimensions, a bond between whom survives the pain inflicted by the ones who were supposed to love and protect you. She reads the same consciousness, like many years ago, _“ I comprehend you, lost soul, I am with you in the agony.”_

There was nothing else, even trying, they were two broken pieces of a puzzle that doesn’t fit together. Living a similar traumatic past they knew too much of each other, they inherit similar wounds, almost identical mechanism of defense, both were control freak to the point of sickness, to the point of being their own worst enemy. They were not made to be lovers, or friends for that matters, the magnanimous fate made them soul-sister and that's what they will always be.

Hecate was absorbed in view of the road, machine speeding in every direction, people running in black and grey suits with umbrella on their arms, loud disturbing and chaotic noise reverberating all around. All of that cement, the vertiginous building, it was truly a claustrophobic atmosphere. No green, no herbs to collect, the cloud obscuring the sky, Hecate felt her chest tighten. Surely she had seen all of this but flying in the blue sky, it never seemed this much grave.

_“What they were thinking? How do they live like this?”_

A brief glance at Mills confirmed what she was absorbing, an annoyed expression covered a troubled one. _“Did she missed the old world, even with all the hurt that brought her?”_

In the meantime she hears Pippa chatting friendly and non-stop with that little man. He had a happy family, with a lovely wife and some children. Well, good for him. She just wanted to know how much it’ll take to reach the airport now. She is sick of being seated in the rumbling machine with no free air, surrounded with no nature but just busy people speeding everywhere. Already missing her magic castle she closed her eyes trying to be patient for a little longer.

Miss Swan was asleep, drooling on her window, oh how she wished she could do the same. But they were people with her, sleep was not to be even contemplated. Miss Johnson was examining documents, it seemed from her angle she couldn’t see well, alternating to look at Sharon Raydor, what a mysterious witch she was, whom was asleep too, using as a pillow the blonde arm behind her nape. _“Were they a… a couple? Good friends?”_ Hecate couldn’t really identify them.

There was softness in Miss Johnson eyes when she looked at the other woman, at least in the glimpse she caught sometimes, were she wasn’t in her own private world. A world she very much would like to reach now, but it seems so far away somehow, her mind was unnerving blank, there was nothing to soothe her.

It is possibly the hovering presence of Pippa Pentangle that prevents her from thinking at anything but her, with her blond hair in that infuriating ponytail, the smile she sensed in her voice while she talked, her heart ached and ached like a drunk fool in search for the alcohol that would surely kill him.

She sighed deeply and hoped for the best.     


	6. Chapter 6

When they passed London she was already immersed in the last case that Major Crimes got. The case was an absurd mess and made absolute no sense. A young barman got killed in a dark isolate alley, no evidence, a lot of blood and no visible motive, but she is sure that her team is more than up to the job. She is checking the photos, gatherings ideas and adding notes, in the eventuality that the case is still open when she gets back.

In the meantime Sharon was peacefully asleep on her shoulder, her arm was stretched behind her nape, feeling auburn hair tickling her skin. She was tempted to observe the severe Captain Raydor asleep like a child on her, lose herself in the little sounds and the perfume of her hair, something flowery, sweet and surely expensive. Unfortunately she couldn’t, she must stay focused, they had a dangerous mission to approach and her unrequited love wasn’t going to help her. So she kept working on the case, it helped that it was quite interesting and challenging. Sending a few questions to the team she checked all the times and reports.

Sharon stirred lightly near her, making herself comfortable and closer. Brenda sighed internally, the world hated her, falling in love with her ex-nemesis, her very much straight and not interested ex-nemesis. They were nearing the airport and she prayed they won’t never arrive, just so Sharon could keep clinging to her. But unfortunately the world truly despised her. The taxi found a parking spot and the round nosy man announced that they arrived.

Swan wake up with a jump growling at the noise. Brenda laughed out loud, what a stressed human being. Sharon opened slowly her sleepy eyes, curling her cute nose at the discomfort. Then she found out on what, or rather who, she was asleep on and jolted in her seat with wide dramatic eyes. “Sleep well honey?” Brenda is sure to hear a gulp before she shyly nods. “I wasn’t aware of …well circumstances.”Always so diplomatic her Captain, she managed not to laugh at her embarrassed expression, instead she smiled. “always a pleasure to help Captain.” She can’t help the flirtatious tone, watching the other woman turn red.

“If you two are finished with the courting, I’d like to remember you, we are at the airport, move your superior asses!” “Swan! Did you forget I am your Chief!” “Yeah, sure, but it’s to early and well, I am the Savior and bla bla bla, just move.” Snorting loudly they exit the car. Raydor had still her cheeks in a shade of pink but  now her eyes were focused, following the line of the building they reached, looking at the sky with concern and then at her, before adverting fast her glance. It was going to be a long fly.

She did a quickly look over of her team, Swan was still growling, Regina had deep eye bags barely hidden by heavy make-up, Miss Hardbroom looked simply lost, glaring at the place like if it was about to inglobe her whole, but the pink one preoccupied her the most, too cheerful, she trusts Sharon word on her magic, but she simply didn’t trust her, not right now anyway.

She ached to grip Sharon’s hand, now that her warmth left her she was feeling less secure about everything. Funny thing love is, funny deadly thing. Sighing out loud she thanks the man and take her bag, reaching the airport under a grey sky.

Inside the building there was already chaos _“people just can’t sleep in the morning ah?”_ Brenda hoped to sleep on the fly, she really need her sleep, even so if at their arrive they would face a strange magic portal into the fucking sky. She scoffed at the thought, she hated magic, so unpredictable and out of her range. Sure by now she was accustomed in fighting strange beings, she had her special spear for that purpose. Abruptly she felt a heavy dark curtain around her, the unknown scared her the most, and if she wasn’t  prepared enough to help Sharon, and if Sharon got hurt, or worse? Eyeing the woman trying to find the boarding place she sighed, this was all a bad, terrible idea, but she will follow her inside Hell, never letting go of her hand. _“That was disgusting cheesy ever in her head”_

God, that terrible woman was ruining her.

As expected every pair of eyes were on the tall all in black witch, her black eyes wide open in discomfort, for the crowd, or maybe for everything. She couldn’t judge her, it was unpleasant for everyone, imagine for someone who had never taken a plane in her live. They passed miraculously the several controls, few embarrassing question were asked, but apparently you don’t mess with a sleep deprived Regina Mills, she was scary. At the question toward Hecate’s dress she lunched herself on a rant about how she would report this respect less act, and the guards just let them pass, with confused and apprehensive looks.

Anyhow they were finally on the damn plane, finding her place she pumped a fist in the air, near the window, so she could sleep undisturbed. With a smile she noticed Sharon sitting next to her, making herself comfortable and  chatting with Swan, who had the place next to her.  

“Fancy seeing ya here ah?” Sharon just eyed her with fissured eyelids. “It is because I am a comfy pillow?” Now she scoffed out loud hitting her lightly on the shoulder. “It is my assigned place Brenda Leigh , do stop it.” Swan exhaled loudly :”Oh my God! I want to change spot! Could you not flirt so early in the morning it is making me dizzy in the stomach.” “We were absolutely not… not flirting!” The Captain tone was calm but her neck was burning red, a small victory. “This is the second warning Swan! Do remember your place!” Swan looked dead in the eyes:”Yea, whatever Chief, just let me sleep.” Brenda rolled her eyes before glancing at the seat behind her, to see the situations.

Miss Hardbroom was squeezed in between Miss Pentangle and Regina, who was busy reading mails on her phone, maybe upgrades to the case. “Mills, any news on the new case?” Mills looked up surprised and shacked her head:”I was re-reading the report of the forensic but nothing new, we’ll have to wait few more days for any scientific news.”

Still a dead end than, she nodded briefly and turned to look at the grey sky from the window. “Tough new case?” Sharon was speaking with a soft curious voice. “It is strange and we have very little evidence, the team doesn’t know how to start.” She smiled a bit, biting the intern of her cheeks. “I am sure Provenza will guide them to the closing.” Alright, they called her the _Closer_  but Provenza was a spectacular detective. “I am sure of it, too.” She smiled again and Brenda actually believed her. The Chief returned the smile and rested her heavy head on the window, praying for a safe fly so she could finally sleep. The calm presence on her side settled her nerves and she closed her eyes.

 

 

Hecate was stiff at her side, her hand closed in fists, restraining them from trembling. She looked around with masked terror in her dark eyes. Pippa’s heart bleed for her friend, seeing her in this distress was a rare site, one she couldn’t tolerate. Touching gently her shaking fist she reached her attention. “It’s alright Hecate, everything will be fine, it’s not like you never reached such altitude with a broom.” She adverted eye contact immediately, like her stare was burning her from the inside, her eyelids were twitching. “I would feel much secure on my broom, if we fall in this horrendous machine we’ll remain trapped inside.” This was going to be so hard on her, but Pippa tried her best to reassure her:”Oh we will not fall Hecate! Even so there are security preparations, and we have magic, we’ll be fine, don’t worry!”

Hiccup eyed her closely, insecurities in all her features but finally exhaled and then nodded, multiple times, as if trying to convince herself.

“My first fly was an experience too Hecate, but you’ll get used to it, it is even safer than a broom.”That fastidious woman was at it again, but Hecate posture got a little less stiff, so she couldn’t really protest. “Thank you, Miss Mills, but I’ll continue to think that my broom is the safer option.” Regina chuckled and returned to read the magazines on her lap. “Of course, whatever makes you feel better.” The nerve of this woman, seriously.

Pippa felt the green monster biting her everywhere with rage, this Regina succeeded in what she failed. She kept Hecate close for so many years, and how they seemed to be close. Pippa had noticed the little glances between the two, like they shared a unique bond and were able to communicate with exchange of stares. They never achieved that, sure she understood little Hecate, but something was always out of knowledge, a kind of wall that separated them. It hurt then and it still hurts now. The wall was even higher, a protected castle was built in between. She sighed and turned briefly to look at the grey sky.

Then the motors started to rumble, the adrenaline started to pump in her veins, she always liked the departure, so exciting. But Hecate toughed her grip on the chair, her face paler than usual.

Pippa acted on a instinct and took her hand in hers, gripping it gently, there was a flash of dark big scared eyes in her direction, a second after they were gone. The hand below hers was cold, ice-cold, with worried eyes she squeezed tighter on the long fingers, Hiccup didn’t utter a single puff of air while they departed. She held on the pink hand with pink nails, like it was her only anchor. It hurt for a bit, then they were in the clouds and her was released, a blush insinuating on the taller witch at her display of weakness. Pippa just smiled at her and kept her hand close, for any eventuality.

Her heart was beating faster and only because of that tiny intimate touch, it was more than that though. It was the show of needing help, of a scared Hecate reaching for her help, like when they were little witches, friends to death.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” She tried to keep her voice down, almost a whisper to not alert the others, it was a moment just for them. “Well I suppose… not.” Her voice was low too, cracking a bit at the end, her cheeks still a shade of pink. For the moon she was adorable. “The landscape look better on a broom, this for sure.” Pippa nodded glancing outside, it was only a tiny window, nothing compared to the wind in your hair and the all world skipping around you. But when she turned again to look at her friend, she found Hecate staring right at her, a burning stare that made her glow.

_“Why does she keep staring at me this way, melting me with her eyes, then pretend it’s nothing.”_

It was intense, like a flame lambing your skin, turning up all your cells. The stare lasted mere seconds, but it was full of meaning, of hidden craving, little buried secrets. The moment was interrupted by chats.

“Miss Swan! Are you already asleep?” The answer was only a grumble. “Swan!” Again the same answer. A snorting Regina reached to hit the others shoulder with a  slap. “What? Who? R-Regina what do you want? I was sleeping!” _“Tsk such a child”_   “How you fall asleep so easily? Anyway if you’d stop being such a child..” A blonde head made a slight appearance from her spot, sporting deep eye bags and  a frown. “Fine, what do you want woman?”

Pippa flinched in sympathy at the intake of air taken by Mills. “Could you gently not transform in a caveman right now. It is too much to ask?”

_“How are we supposed to save the world as a team while even the two of them couldn’t talk without bickering?”_

Meanwhile Hecate had a lopsided grin plastered on her face, well they were a bit funny.

“Erg, if you just tell me Regina, so I can go back to sleep.” The dark eyed woman scoffed at her rolling her eyes dramatically. “I was imply wondering what we’ll do when we arrive?” Emma eyed her closely, scrunching her nose. “What? You want a suggestion?” Regina stared at her with death in her eyes. Pippa was impressed, that was a serious death stare.

“Alright, sorry, I think we should go and take our stuff, like my sword, and then we… I don’t know how we are going to get in the fucking sky!” Hecate jumped a little at the swear and Pippa chuckled, sweet Hecate.

Regina was regarding the question, a frown on her features. “I was thinking it too, Hecate what do you think? We could go with brooms? I have a few, and Sharon surely does too. It is years that I don’t use it, though.”

Hecate barely tsked. “I  brought mine and Pippa did too, right?” Pippa nodded. “We could take them with us, if you and Miss Raydor aren’t sure for the fly.” She sounded so sure, so confident that Pippa didn’t have the courage to utter a word, voice stuck in her throat, so this is the warrior Hecate. “Oh, then it’s a relief. I’ll bring things that may be able to help us, but we don’t know what to expect.”

It was all pick black and it was a serious enormous problem, knowing what you are up against and you’ll be prepared. But not this time, no they were completely in the dark. Her little finger lingered near Hecate’s for a moment, to reach some comfort, something to put her mind at ease. The other witch was still focused, a blank expression on her pretty face, staring straight ahead of her. “I brought some potions too, empowering and curative ones, but I am preoccupied that all of this won’t be nearly enough. We are measuring ourselves with a whole new universe.” Her tone was calm but heavy, every word was measured and used carefully. Even Miss Swan was staring at her with some sort of expectation.

“Well we are a powerful group of wit ehm people and I am sure we’ll figure something out Hecate.” Pippa tapped lightly her bony hand with lopsided grin on her plump lips. “This is not the type of… mission you,”- she took a deep breath- “I simply prefer to have a solid plane and strategy.” Everyone wanted that, but this is real life, wasn’t it? No joke.

The sky was getting only greyer and angrier, that prospect nothing good, Pippa growled internally hoping for the best and for her lives at stake. A turbulence bit them gently, Hecate almost jumped out of her skin, her forehead full of worried lines and her teeth tight behind closed lips. Pippa intertwined their fingers slowly, smiling gently. Her fearless Hecate squeezed her fingers and looked outside with a form of determination. Had she been on a broom in this storm the secure Hardbroom would’ve avoided it elegantly without a flinch. Now this was new, but her black poles were open, filled with courage, that was overcoming the fear swimming in them before.

Pippa stares and stares and stares some more. This is what strong people do, they overcome their fears facing them, not closing their eyes. She always wanted to be like her friend, but the truth is that she is a unique nature work of art. So she just continued to stare, hoping that Hecate would stare back.

 

 

The turbulences passed quickly, Regina was still fake reading some useless gossip magazines, in her mind she was trying to come up with a solid plane. She could see Swan’s head resting on her seat heavenly, she was no doubt asleep. Brenda Leigh was sleeping too, her face almost smashed on the window, but she could see that Sharon was wide awake, fidgeting with her hands in her auburn hair, restless. The older woman was doing this a lot, she’d space out sometimes looking at nothing with reclusive eyes, Regina had already seen that kind of stare, looking right in the mirror.

She tried to help, but the other woman was stoic and stubborn, rejecting her visible feelings for Brenda Leigh, just as she had done with hers for Emma idiotic Charming Swan. Now in her dark chocolate eyes there was unfortunate used fondness.

 Shaking her head Regina tried again to focus on the task ahead. Her hand grabbed hard on her legs, the material of her pants wrinkling under her nervous fingers. She must be able to protect her little prince, the world, her princess Charming.

She scoffed at the mere thought, she wasn’t hers.

Hecate near her was now calm, the fear conquered, she smirked softly. With Hardbroom with them, there was at least the double of the chances to came back alive. The witch was resolute on the field, unstoppable, courageous and most important extremely careful. Something they desperately needed with characters like Swan and Chief Johnson. They would face everything with few sticks in their hands, she know this to well.

\----- That was a tough case, dangerous one, a truly major crime. Brenda and Miss Swan were in a building of an important cosmetic agency, they needed to interrogate the CEO, just one of the suspects for a double murder. Regina was with them to collect some DNA samples. Things escalated quickly and the CEO took few hostages in his office, a gun pointed on a young girl trembling with fear. Regina could see his hands shaking, the gun going up and down fast, his forehead pearled with sweat and gulped.

The three of them were trapped in his office, Brenda’s and Emma’s gun dropped far from their hands. Emma had immediately post herself in front of her, blocking her movements with a hard grip on her waist. Regina kept looking at that hand hoping it would cause a bruise, so she could kill the other woman after. _“She is no damsel in distress, thank you very much.”_  

“He is unstable Emma, I could use my magic.” She whispered in the lieutenant ear. “Can’t take that risk, we’ll figure out something, Chief!” Swan was just above whispering. “I know Swan, let me think!” Answered Brenda with clenched teeth.

The gun kept shaking and Regina prepared herself  to use a fireball, just in case.

“Mister surely you know that soon you’ll be surrounded, there is help on the way, you are a smart man, you clearly know how these things go.” Brenda’s voice was calm, sweet but deep and firm at the same time. The man was trembling more, screaming things with no sense. “Drop the gun and I promise you’ll go out here alive and with your dignity intact.” She kept trying but the mister was so over the line, gone insane with fear, the poor girl was crying, her baby blues eyes red and open in panic.

They needed to do something.

Subtly Swan was moving the both of them, drawing a circle around Mr. King, so unstable he was he didn’t’ even notice. Regina was staring at the blond curls in front of her. _“What Emma was doing?”_ They were now close to the luxury couch, Brenda kept talking with him, calming him down. But with the tail of the eye she was following their movements. Swan’s gun was now a few feet away, perched on a little table.

She felt Emma inhale deeply and it all happened in a blink of an eye. She was pushed hard belong the couch and landed with a grunt on the marble floor, then she heard Mr. King screaming, a shout perched the thick air of the office. Her heart stopped from beating, the blood was pumping in her ears, the loud bang was echoing in her brain in a loop.

Without thinking she stood up, fearing a sight she couldn’t tolerate. Behind her eyelids she saw Emma on the ground losing blood from a hole in her chest, her green eyes open, lifeless. 

Then she opened her eyes and looked, Mr. King was on the floor, a hole in his skull, the girl on her knees, Brenda comforting her with an arm around her trembling shoulder. Finally Emma Swan standing tall and very much alive, the fuming gun between firm fingers. Her heart remembered how to function again and she exhaled a breath of relief.

 Without her control she found herself with her arms tight around Emma’s neck, her face hidden in blond curls, breathing deeply. Then she felt a leather covered arm circling her waist and a warm cheek pressed on her hair.

Brenda’s voice waked her from the trance :” Swan you took a big risk there, but well done, he was going to snap, it was a good shout, IA will clear you, don’t worry.” She felt Emma nod on her head, tightening the hold  on her hips. Regina raised her head, arms firm around the other neck. She stared in those green beautiful eyes, she could swim in them. “Chief…” , “It’s ok Swan, I’ll call everyone.”

Emma turned to focus on her. Fear and doubt swirling on her features and Regina remembered everything with a unexpected rage. She let go of her and took few steps back. The other woman noticed the rage on her face and held a hand up. “Regina it was the only way.” She pinned her with a death glare. “It was not! You could have been shout! You can’t leave me alone with Henry mourning you, you heard me Miss Swan?” Emma shacked her head in disbelieve. “But…” “I don’t want hear another word!” She was fuming, how dare she to be so stupid, so impulsive! Regina gave her another glare and stumped off, hells clicking repeatedly on the marble floor, like a war march. Leaving a shocked Emma Swan behind her, and a tired Brenda Leigh. Sharon was going to kill the both of them anyway. ----

The memory still haunted her, that stupid brave princess. She was grateful she was still alive and beside her. And indeed she discovered the next morning two matching bruises on both her hips, she didn’t talk to the other for maybe a week, ignoring her puppies eyes for as long as she could. Useless, at the end she gave in, threatening to end her sufferance herself if she had such a death wish. Swan smiled with all her teeth in display :” You’d miss me, I remember you launching on me immediately, you know.” She smirked in that charming way and Regina barely restrained herself from burning her on the spot.

Or worse, actual kiss her to shut her up.

 

 

The plane landed on perfect time, the Sun was shining on L.A., making Emma smile briefly, then fear eat her guts fast, looking at the clear sky, trying to see the portal and failing. Her head hurt, like there was an hammer inside, destroying her brain cells. She growled exiting the airport, just a fantastic time for a migraine.

Regina at her side had a dark stare deep inside the red tired eyes. She was frantically searching the sky and biting her lower lip. “Don’t do that queenie, it’s distracting.”

Her fucking asleep mind couldn’t keep up with her mouth, and that was a fact.

The other woman stared at her with confusion written all over the sun-kissed face. “I beg you pardon?” Honestly she just wanted to sleep for a hundred years. “Ignore me, let’s go. First we go, faster we came back.” Regina was still eyeing her strangely but shacked her pretty head and keep walking. Emma started to breath again.

The rest of the company wasn’t in a better shape, Brenda was sleep walking as she was, Hecate had just recovered from the landing and Sharon looked tired.

God, how are they going to survive this.

The tension was swirling between them like a deep fog. “Regina.” “Yes, Miss Swan?” Warm amber eyes glanced at her over a relaxed shoulder. She wanted to kiss her like that, in that specific position.

Emma growled out loud again.

“Miss Swan..” “Ehm, do you think Henry will be already at school?” Regina checked the time, it was past 8 am. “Sadly yes, wanted to say goodbye?” Emma nodded and received a comprehensive smile. “We’ll see him when we came back, don't ’ worry.” A small smile appeared on the Savior, of course they’ll came back to their little prince.

“Come on Swan! I want to wrap this up as fast as possible!” Brenda ruining the moment. “Sure boss.” She spent another few seconds to look at the queen ass in these sensible pantsuits, before hurrying.

They retrieved her sword, Brenda’s spear and all the items Regina wanted to bring, then they were ready.

“And if there is no air and we die on the spot?” Regina turned to look at her with wide eyes. “We’ll jump right back, and maybe your mind just catch up but there could be anything, anything at the other end.” Right, stupid question. “Just saying, so behind who I hook up?” Four identical stares darted at her and she raised her arms in defeat.

Hecate and still giddy Pippa had already their brooms hovering. All of them were out on the roof of Regina apartment. Regina and Sharon had their brooms at hand trying to look confident, but failing a bit. “We are going to go this way, Miss Swan will go with Miss Pentangle and the Chief with Miss Hardbroom, Sharon and I will follow you right behind. When we reach the portal we try to close it from afar, if it doesn’t work we go in. All clear?” Everyone nodded with determination.

Swan was simply happy that she doesn’t need to fly with Miss Black soul over there.

The two witches took a seat on their vehicle. Emma approached Pippa slowly observing Regina closely, their eyes meet for what seemed ages but were mere seconds. Maybe it was lack of sleep, the nerve-cracking situation, hell the jet-lag but Emma Swan couldn’t help herself, her heart was aching staring in those dark worried poles. Passing by, trying to act casual she reached with a stretched arm to squeeze Regina’s hip, receiving a gulp and a flustered stare. Emma smiled and winked before hopping with difficulty on that damn broom. The other woman was following her with her eyes, cheeks still pink.

Brenda was already behind a uncomfortable looking Hecate Hardbroom. The Chief was smirking at her, the lieutenant  scoffed and tried to not grip too hard onto the pink witch.

“I will not make you fall, Miss Swan, you can relax.” “Yeah, I believe it when we go back on the ground.” Pippa snorted, side-eyeing her friend in black, they exchanged a nod and then they were flying. Emma felt the wind in her hair, saw the street getting smaller and smaller. “See completely safe right?” Her breath was caught in her throat, she gripped harder on pink (plump) hips and swallowed hard.

Pippa laughed bubbly and got faster, now they were going up, towards the portal. It seemed that there were invisible waves disturbing the air. Emma turned for a moment behind her to see Regina and Sharon slowly reaching them. Gulping badly Emma stared at the portal ahead of them floating in a semi-circle.

She could see the four witches concentrating in unison. The low but firm tone of Sharon broke the tense filled silence. “We need raw energy here, alright? Nothing to articulate just distinctive raw magic, ready?” She received three nods.

Brenda was staring at her, drafted, pure terror in those big eyes, the same reflected in the lieutenant ones.

The blast of their powers mixing was hard and almost made Emma fell from the broom. Raw magic was hitting the portal with precision. “Start slow!” The Captain suggested, one palm in the air, blast emerging from it. It wasn’t working, the shocked expression on Regina’s face made it clear. “More now, it isn’t even quivering!” The flow became thicker and Pippa started to sway a bit.

Hecate ‘s dark stare immediately caught it. Raising both hands the blast that followed broke some windows and scared the hell out of her. The portal didn’t even flinch.

“Enough this isn’t working!” The voice of Hardbroom stopped the attack. They were lightly painting, sweat pearling on their foreheads.

 “We have to go inside, I fear.” Regina tone was still determinate but tired and slacking. Emma took the pommel of her sword tight in her fist, ready at everything it could be on the other side. A beat of an eye, a moment lost in the wind and then they were inside.

And, oh fuck.   


End file.
